Rolex - Space Dweller

Hi folks,

Hope you're well. I recently posted a small article on my blog about the Rolex Explorer Space Dweller (here, if anyone cares to read).



I know this has been the subject of a number of different threads before on here, but was just interested in trying to get to the bottom of a few "facts" that have been floating around on the web but which I can't seem to substantiate.

In particular, the one that the Space Dweller a) was released in Japan only and b) after a visit by astronauts from NASA's Project Mercury to Japan.

If anyone can offer any insight into these facts - or more insight into the origins of the Space Dweller - I'd be very grateful!

Thanks
Daniel

A nice little read while I have my coffee....

Thanks!

Thanks!

Always love reading & writing about aviation & spaceflight watches...
However, I believe only astronaut John Glenn visited Japan in May 1963. In February 1962, on MA-6 Friendship-7 he became the first American astronaut to orbit the Earth and he was in Japan to assist with the radio communications network for the MA-9 Faith-7 flight of Leroy. Gordon Cooper. Once the mission was over, Glenn embarked on a 12-day tour & vacation in Japan with his family.

I will take two please. Can you wrap them?

It is a 5 year waiting list plus you have to buy five watches you do not want!

That's interesting to hear, so it may well be that the Project Mercury astronauts didn't visit Japan? And it was just one astronaut?

Would you like that with or without the gift ribbon? 😁

Yes I believe so... in the end the Space Dweller aimed at the Japanese market didn't sell as good as everyone hoped... most sought-after today!

December 2023 - PHILLIPS NY auction lot 23 Rolex " Space Dweller "
Although the Rolex "Space Dweller" never made it into space , it's a wonderful wrist watch with an interesting history.
Here's the story how it might have originated:
☕
In May 1963, as NASA started recruitment for the Group III astronauts, Mercury astronaut Leroy Cooper made the last solo spaceflight mission of the Mercury program. Onboard “Faith 7” Cooper orbited the Earth 22 times before a pinpoint splash-down near recovery ship USS Kearsarge in the North Pacific Ocean. During this 34 hours long mission, NASA astronaut LtCol John Glenn was stationed aboard the Pacific radio telemetry tracking ship “Coastal Sentry” off the coast of Kyushu - Japan.
Between May 10 and 16, John Glenn, the first US astronaut to orbit the Earth, acted as CapCom (Capsule Communicator) with the Project Mercury communication center at Cape Canaveral in Florida. After the mission, John Glenn and his family spent a 13 days vacation visiting Japanese industrial, historic and cultural sites. Glenn’s goodwill tour brought him to Tokyo, discussing space achievements with science writers, and Nihon university where he received an honorary degree. The Japanese youth met him with great enthusiasm as Glenn’s candidness and openness boosted the US image in Japan.
This goodwill tour did not go unnoticed to Rolex, as the Swiss company wanted to release a watch in tribute to the spacefarers as Rolex had commemorated legendary explorations to the summit of Mount Everest and the Arctic. In response to the Japanese fascination with astronauts and spaceflight related science fiction, Rolex launched a small production run of the “Space Dweller”, for which the Swiss patent was registered on February 16, 1966 followed by a US patent office registration on November 19, 1968. Basically, the “Space Dweller” was launched in 1967 as a modified version of their Explorer 1016 model.
However, it looks like this model remained a Japan-only special edition as it was not released into Rolex’s complete world market. In 2008, Sotheby’s auctioned a set of 4 separate “Space Dweller” dials which more than probably ended up in 1016 cases as case production dates range between 1963 and 1968.
(screenshot: PHILLIPS auction)
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Was it really a poor seller? I was always under the impression that they just didn't make too many of them.

Its a cool name for a watch.

I am waiting for Rolex to make a Desk Dweller.

Best they can do for you is a Waitlist Dweller

Good lord this is a takedown

Perezscope strikes again

😁

It is all about hype and not upsetting the status quo. My premise is and always was, if you truly want to learn about watches, forget about content produced by people who want to sell you something, be it Hodinkee, Mondani or Montanari.

Very interesting stuff, and yes there's no doubt about the idea being ignited by Mercury astronaut John Glenn's visit to Japan in May 1963.
Remember "" the desire has to be created "